Feed mechanism for postmarking and stamp-canceling machines.



No. 667,754. Patented Feb. l2, I90l. J. E. WRIGHT.

FEED MECHANISM FOR PUSTMARKING AND STAMP CANCELING MACHINES.

' [Application filed May 31, 1900.

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. Patented F'eh. l2, l90l.

. J, E. WRIGHT; FEED MECHANISM FUR PG-STMARKING AND STAMP CANGELINGMACHINES.

7 (Application filed m a1, 1900.

4N0 Model.)

.J'liiiiiii' l'liii UNTTEn STATEs PATENT EEicE.

FEED MECHANISM FOR POSTMARKING AND STAMP-CANCELING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 667,754, dated February12, 190i;

Applies tion filed May 31,1900, Serial No. 18,575. (No model.)

To all whom, it nutg concern.

Be it known that I, JAMESE. WRIGHT, acitizen of the United States,residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed Mechanisms forPost-' markingandStamp-Canceling Machines; and I do declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to feed mechanism for postmarking andstamp-canceling machines and the like.

The object of the invention is to provide such a machine which will becomparatively simple in construction, positive in its action, and whichwill be applicable to any machine wherein such a device might be used.

' With this and other objects in view my invention consists in theconstruction and arrangement of the parts, which will be hereinaftermore fully described and claimed, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of my improvedfeeder, showing the same clamped to the upper. end of the chute of apostmarking and stamp-canceling machine. Fig. 2 is an end elevation ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section through the needle-barand its actuating mechanism. Fig. at is a detail plan view of one of thefeed-rollers. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of a portion of thespring-finger-clamping bars.

In the drawings, A denotes the upper end of the chute of a postmarkingand stamp-canceling machine.

1 denotes the supporting-frame of my improved feeder, and 2 and 3 denotebraces for supporting the parts of said frame.

4: denotes the inclined feed-table, bolted to a portion of the frame 1.5 denotes a follower-block which is adapted to slide upon said table 4and is provided on its lower side with a depending lug 6, which isattached to one end of a cord 7. Said cord passes over the guide-pulley8, journaled in a portion of the frame 1, and is provided on its lowerend Witha Weight 9.

l and 11 denote clamping-bars bolted to the upper portion of the frame 1and adapted to clamp between them a series of verticallydisposed springguide-fingers 12.

. 13 denotes a series of eccen trically-mounted feed-rollers fixed on ahorizontally-arranged shaft 14, journaled in the sides of the frame 1.The rollers 13 have feed-segments upon their peripheries, which areprovided with rubber contact-plates 15, which are suitably clampedthereto by means of the clamps l6, bolted to the rollers l3.

l7 denotes a second series of feed-rollers fixed to a shaft 18,extending parallel with the shaft 14 and having its ends journaled inthe side pieces of the frame 1. 1

Upon one end of the shafts 14 and 18 are fixed spur gear-wheels 14 and18. 19 denotes idle spur gear-pinion mounted upon a stud-, shaft 20,fixed in the side of the frame 1 and adapted to mesh with the said spurgearwheels 1% and 18.

21 denotes a band-pulley fixed upon the extreme outer end of the shaft14, and from which may extend a cord or belt to a driven portion of thestamp-canceling machine.

22 denotes a series of feed-rollers fixed upon a shaft 23, looselymounted in bearings 24 in the sides of the frame 1. The said bearings 24consist of an elongated slot, in which is fixed a coil-spring 25, thetension of which is exerted to press said shaft 23 and rollers 22against the parallel set of rollers 17, hereinbefore described.

26 denotes a vertically-disposed needle-bar having a sliding engagementbetween the clamping-plates and 11 and provided near i s lower end witha detachable block 27, in which are fixed downwardly-inclinedneedlepoints 28, which are adapted to engage the letters or otherarticles to be fed.

29 denotes a bar having one end pivoted to the needle-bar 26, beingpivoted at its other end to an inclined bar 30, mounted upon atransverse bar 31, fixed in the sides of the frame 1.

32 denotes a spring interposed in the angle formed by the meeting endsof the bars 29 and and which is adapted to force the bar 29 and theneedle-bar 26 upwardly.

33 denotes a lug formed upon the upper side of the bar 29.

34 denotes a cam-Wheel fixed upon the shaft 14 and being arranged sothat upon the revolution of the said shaft let the cam 34 will come incontact with the bar 29, thereby forcing the same, together with the bar26, downwardly. A further movement of the cam 34 will engage the lug 33,pushing the same and the bar 29 backwardly, rocking the bar 30 upon therod 31 and at the same time drawing the bar 26 rearwardly, therebydisengaging the needles from their engagement with the letter. The bar26 is formed of springsteel metal and is sufficiently resilient to bedrawn out of engagement with the letter by the mechanism hereinbeforedescribed.

The operation of my device is as follows: The stack or bunch of lettersto be fed into the chute of the can celing-machine are placed in theproper position upon the table 4 and the follower-block 5 is adjustedagainst the same. The machine now being set in operation, thefeed-rollers 13 will be caused to rotate, and as their cam-faces come incontact with the letter the same is forced downwardly. The letter isthen gripped by the needles 28, and through the mechanism, hereinbeforedescribed, is forced farther downward and between the lower set offeed-rollers 17 and 22, by which the same is fed into the chute of thecanceling-machine.

Any suitable means may be employed for clamping the frame 1 upon theupper end of the chute; but the construction herein shown is thepreferred one.

While I have shown and described my feeding device in the best mannerknown to me at the present time, it is. obvious that various changes inthe form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may beresorted towithout departing from the principle or sacrificing any ofthe advantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

In a feed mechanism of the class described,

the combination of a supporting-frame adapted to be clamped to thefeed-chnte of a postmarking and stamp-canceling machine, a series ofcam-shaped upper feed-rollers fixed upon a horizontally-disposedrotating shaft mounted in said frame, a series of vertically disposedguide fingers arranged between and alternating with said series of upperfeed-rollers, an inclined feed-table, a follower-block having a slidingengagement with said table and adapted to be drawn forwardly along saidtable by means of a weight and cord passing over a pulley, two parallelseries of lower feed-rollers, one series of which has a yieldingengagement with the other, a vertically-disposed, reciprocatingfeed-bar, a detachable block containing needlepoints carried by saidfeedbar to cause said feed-bar to positively engage the matter to feedthe same to the said parallel series of lower feed-rollers, a cam-rollermounted upon a driven shaft and adapted, upon revolution of said shaft,to strike an arm pivoted to said feed-bar, thereby moving said bardownwardly, a lug fixed upon said arm in the path of said cam-roller,and adapted to be engaged and moved laterally by said cam, therebyspringing said flexible feed-bar out of engagement with said matter, anarm mounted on a transverse rod fixed in said frame, and adapted topivotally support the outer end of the aforesaid arm, a spring confinedbetween said arms and adapted to raise the first-mentioned arm and thefeed-bar when released by said cam-roller, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JAMES E. WRIGHT.

Vitnesses:

ALFRED ARNEMANN, ARTHUR E. BALDWIN.

